Spork and Knife

It’s inevitable in Washington, D.C.

If you live here long enough you will go to quite a few good-bye dinners. People flock to the nation’s capitol with visions of saving the world and one by one they leave the city for grad school, a higher paying-less hours job or they are fueled by dreams of owning a place that is bigger than 500 square feet (or simply just owning a place).

There are a select few who come and never leave and then there’s the ever-elusive born and bred “Washingtonian”. Where I will end up among this group is up for debate, but that’s beside the point.

Since 701 had flown under the radar to our farewell group of 5, we decided to make it the spot to bid adieu. The restaurant’s website claimed to have “the warmth and charm of a private club”, live jazz and “contemporary continental cuisine”. All appealing attributes for a group looking to please all tastes and linger while we laughed about old times and caught up on current ones.

I walked in to find E and the girls chatting it up with the bartender at the impressively well stocked and very “clubby” bar. A quick scan of the larger dining room showed a decor that was far from “clubby” and more like an almost trendy hotel. Bright colors, an open space, but an element that pulled the look together was missing.

The girls gathered their drinks and we were escorted to our table by an overly eager waiter. Let me preface the rest of my comments with this knowledge: I am a chatty and friendly person that appreciates personal touches from wait staff, more so than most. I even laughed when”Mr. Friendly” announced to our group that he knew he wanted to talk to me because he noticed my height when I walked in. I wore the high heels that night, so I’ll chalk this one up to - I was asking for it! After-all, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. That’s my motto.

Well it must have been Mr. Friendly’s first night on the job because after a roughly 10 minute intro that after 2 minutes was slightly painful he managed to… (let’s make a list because they’re efficient and fun)

• Declare his hatred for beets and salmon claiming that one tasted like dirt and the other was soo cliche and rudimentary (Not exact wording, but you get the gist).
• After declaring a disdain for Salmon proceed to up-sell it.
• Forget a drink order.
• Serve 3 salads to the incorrect person.
• Forget another drink order in a separate round.
• Serve 4 entrees to the incorrect person.
• Allow our desserts to sit on a tray next to our table for 10 (I’m not kidding you) minutes.

Service issues aside there were some highlights:

The drinks were flawless. Some people may think this is a minor detail when eating out, but if I’m paying $10 for a cocktail it better be made right, and every single person commented on the quality of the mixed drinks. GOLD STAR for mixed beverages and wine selection.

The Food

Our salads (ranging from $9-$15):
Baby Lettuces
with navel oranges, spiced pine nuts, apple-balsamic vinaigrette

Red Wine Poached Pear Salad
endive, goat cheese, candied walnuts, walnut vinaigrette

Beet Salad (exact description is fuzzy, but it was fairly traditional)

All of the salads were good, not great. I ordered the baby lettuces and loved the spiced pine nuts, but found the rest of the dish to be unsurprising and not worth my $9.

Our entrees (ranging from $24-$30):

Rock Shrimp-Crusted Striped Bass
sauteed spinach, chanterelles, carrot veloute

Roasted Chilean Sea Bass
flagiolet and artichoke barigoule, manila clams, lemon veloute

Dry-Aged Prime NY Steak
with an ancho-soy glaze, gingered shiitakes, salsify, crushed truffled potatoes

I ordered the Rock Shrimp-Crusted Striped Bass and to simplify, the bass was lightly fried with a carrot butter sauce resting over a bed of spinach and mushrooms, that to me were an afterthought. Overall, the dish was satisfying, but nothing blew me away. I was happy with the striped bass, even though it was much heavier than I expected. Not knowing that veloute stood for butter sauce really hurt me here. (Note to self: next time ask what strange French words mean. It’s ok to not know EVERYTHING.)

The others seemed to have similar impressions of their dishes. Good, but overall not worth the price. There was one exception to this feeling, and that was the dry-aged prime NY steak. Comment here was that the steak was flavorless and for lack of a better word - dry. Not worthy of ordering again, much less finishing the portion at hand.

The desserts were a highlight of the evening. An extremely chocolaty cake, an almond flavored ? and a flaky strawberry pastry. (Please forgive the lack of description here. We were so thrilled to finally have our desserts that they were polished off in a plate passing haze.)

Service issues aside, would I return if the prices were $15-$24 for entrees? Yes.

At their current prices, No.

Final Thoughts:

Good service means your wait staff anticipates needs and blends into the whole restaurant experience. We all appreciate a congenial attitude, but in the end, we just want to catch up with the ones we came with. A quick conversation is wonderful and much proffered to a sulking waiter or waitress, but don’t linger.

The combination of “over staying the welcome”, musical plates episodes, late service and forgotten drinks earned 701 a C- in the service area. (I’m being kind. After all, Mr. Friendly was very…friendly.)

The food was good (again, not great), but not worth the prices. Why don’t restaurants in this town understand that you may get us to pay $30 for a sub-par steak the first time, but you better believe that I’m taking my $ to one of the hundreds of other restaurants in this city next time around.

I would go back to 701 for two things. Drinks & desserts. But next time, I’m sitting at the bar.

701 Restaurant

701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20004

202-393-0701

Something to note: 701 belongs to a restaurant group that owns a few other places in the city. (The Bombay Club, The Oval Room, Rasika, Ardeo & Bardeo) As my S & K readers know, I count Rasika as one of my favorite spots. The service is top notch and the food is wonderful and inventive, so I don’t have a bias against the group as a whole.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…Thai. (Bet you thought I was going to say ice cream.)

It’s official, all of you Thai food lovers out there (Penang Curry how I love thee)…get ready for a great week. April 13th through the 19th is Thai restaurant week, sponsored by the Royal Thai Embassy, marking the start of Thai New Year.

In all, 20 restaurants are participating. I’m including a list of the DC spots below, but head to the original information source, The Washington Post, for Maryland and Virginia participants as well as a few more details. I’m sad to see Regent Thai missing from the party. It’s a solid favorite and always delivers. There’s always next year.

Bangkok Bistro

Bangkok Joe’s

Mai Thai

Rice

Simply Home Cuisine

Thaiphoon

Thai Tanic

I haven’t been to all on this list, but I can vouch for Thai Tanic and Rice, both in the Logan Circle neighborhood and both produce solid (notice I said solid, not amazing) Thai dishes. If you’re looking for a trendy atmosphere head to Rice, but if you’re in the mood for a very casual night out, Thai Tanic is a good bet. You can finish up dinner and head to one of my favorite spots in the city for some low-key jazz, HR-57. There’s a $12 cover and a $3 corking fee that goes along with their BYOB policy. That’s right BYOB. So stop by the Whole Foods on P street after dinner and grab a bottle to take with.

Enjoy the week!

This post has been a long time in the making. Months ago I attended a Balducci’s food demonstration hosted by none-other-than Zaytinyia’s Head Chef, Mike Isabella. We chopped and chatted for quite a few hours (AKA Chef Isabella was nice enough to put up with my 10,000 questions), he talked about his time spent cooking overseas, his love of his Italian heritage and life in a high-powered kitchen. I asked questions that probably made him chuckle, like ,”How do restaurants dice their tomatoes so perfectly?”. (I can’t be the ONLY person to have pondered this!)

After a solid 3 hours of making tabbouleh, cucumber yogurt soup & Turkish chicken and walnut salad, all delicious and all from Zaytinya, we parted ways with me promising to stop by and give the restaurant a try. ( I know, I know…how can I have lived here for so long and not tried Zaytinya?! Obviously an oversight on my part.)

Skip to the Friday night a few weeks ago when D and I decided to take the parents out. (Or was that, they decided to take us out?) After a parking fiasco similar to this one, we strolled into Zaytinya and took our seats on the second floor-right by the fireplace. A perfect spot except the guys complained that it was too hot. (Why is it men always have to ruin the ambiance? I kid, I kid.) We mentioned this and within 2 seconds our lovely waiter had the problem (err, a problem to the guys. I was quite cozy) fixed.

The Sommelier came by our table, asked a few questions about our tastes and picked out a wonderful bottle of Greek wine for us to try. (The name escapes me now, but I will post it later.) On top of the wine we ordered a round of hommus to compliment the pita bread already on the table.

As we devoured the fluffy pita and creamy hommus, Chef Isabella dropped by to say hi. (I know, my jaw dropped as well.) It’s nice to see a chef in the front-of-the-house and the gesture was more than appreciated.

On to the food.

From this point on, the number of dishes headed to our table were too many to recount, but I’m going to hit the highlights (there were many).

• Imam Bayildi (Ottoman style roasted eggplant stuffed with onions and tomatoes) A favorite among all 4 of us, and perfect for any vegetarians.
• Octopus Santorini (grilled baby octopus, marinated onions, capers and yellow split pea puree) D’s favorite. The flavors were clean and fresh…a very light dish.
  
• Sea Scallops (seared scallops with yogurt-dill sauce) The yogurt sauce shows up in various forms throughout the menu and was a personal favorite. This style was creamy with just the right amount of dill to bite the tongue and the scallops were cooked perfectly with just a touch of ocean flavor.
  
• Kibbeh (beef and wheat fritters stuffed with almonds, pinenuts and currants and served with labneh) Yum’s the word. Think of these as the Mediterranean version of a hushpuppy. Obviously a low-brow comparison, but the flavors were all-over-the-place, complimenting each other nicely.
  

I’m skipping over a few that no-doubt deserve to be mentioned, but I must get to the star of the night. A combination of lamb dishes sent out by the chef. Rightly named…

• Lamb Four Ways WoW, WoW, Wow. The lamb was tender and juicy and the herbs popped with flavor. Its been a long time since I had lamb cooked to this level.

For the short version of the night: The atmosphere is fun and vibrant with a large open space that would be perfect for large groups. The noise level in the center of the dining room has the potential to get loud, so asking for a tucked away spot is a must for the hard of hearing or those looking to have a quiet conversation.

The service was on-point and extremely friendly. Our waiter knew his dishes and openly suggested a few favorites after hearing our likes and dislikes and the Sommelier picked a wonderful bottle of wine, taking the time to let it decant so we could enjoy it at its best. I’ve heard tales of water glasses going empty for long periods of time or rushed dinners but experienced nothing of the sort.

As for the food: I can say that I’ve paid a lot more for far inferior cuisine. I would order almost everything again and each dish kept me packing-it in-despite almost reaching the point of miserably full. (AKA Chipmunk face) DC is lucky to have such a great restaurant, and Chef Jose Andres has a man of talent running his kitchen, showcasing the flavors of Greece, Turkey and Lebanon in all their glory.

Prices are moderate and you could spend very little or a lot depending on your mood. Since everything is mezze style, 2-3 dishes (ranging from roughly $7-$10 each) could fill most.

Overall, the experience was a memorable one. I’m placing Zaytinya high on the list of go-to spots. Here’s hoping they can repeat this experience time and time again.

Zaytinya

corner of 9th and G Streets, NW
701 9th Street NW Washington,DC 20004

(202) 638-0800
(202) 638-6969

Parking
Valet parking after 5:15 pm, seven day a week.

$11

Metro

Zaytinya is located two blocks from the Archives/Naval Memorial station on the Green and Yellow lines. It’s across the street from the Gallery Place stop on the Red line, the 9th and G Streets exit.

It’s Wednesday folks, and after reading the first few lines of my favorite morning chat I felt the need to pass along some VERY interesting and much anticipated information about a recently closed Logan Circle restaurant and it’s new inhabitants.

The space formerly occupied by Viridian, a simple-American cuisine restaurant, will soon be taken over by…

…the owner of Ristorante Tosca. Why is this news music to my ears?? As someone who has Italian in their heritage and grew up eating fresh pasta I hold the cuisine to a high standard. A trained monkey can boil a pot of noodles and slap on some sauce, but it takes real finesse to produce a flavorful handmade pasta.

One of the few restaurants to have accomplished this feat…you guessed it - Tosca. ( Notice I said one, NOT the only.)

According to Tom Sietsema, the space is planned for a casual Northern Italian trattoria.

For more details, head to today’s Ask Tom chat.

Happy Wednesday to you all!

It’s been talked about in Foodie Circles for months now.  The combination of smooth, creamy, rich chocolate and smokey salty…BACON.  If you just contorted your face and thought to yourself, “Eww, that’s disgusting,” then you had the same reaction as many people I know.  If you think about it further, the combination is not too nutty.  Most people like the contrast of sweet and salty together.  If we didn’t then trail mix would cease to exist and the idea of chocolate covered popcorn would be absurd.

Going even further, as the back of the Vosges bar states…

 ”I began experimenting with bacon + chocolate at the tender age of 6, while eating chocolate chip pancakes drenched in Aunt Jemima® syrup, as children often do. Beside my chocolate-laden cakes laid three strips of sizzlin’ bacon, just barely touching a sweet pool of maple syrup. And then, the magic—just a bite of the bacon was too salty and I yearned for the sweet kiss of chocolate and syrup, so I combined the two. In retrospect, perhaps this was a turning point; for on that plate something magical happened, the beginnings of a combination so ethereal and delicious that it would haunt my thoughts until I found the medium to express it—chocolate.

If that’s not inspiration that you can relate to, then I’m at a loss for words.

I first encountered this mythical bar at the relatively new chocolate spot, ACKC  on 14th street.  If you haven’t been to this Logan Circle chocolate haven then you’re missing out.  A combination cafe, chocolate shop and gallery, its the perfect place to indulge in a few vices.  While I was sipping on my chipotle & cinnamon spiced cocoa I watched as another chocolate lover fawned over the mythical bacon bar found in one of the center displays.  Naturally curious and hating to miss out on a good thing I snagged one on my way out the door.

Since you’ve already read the description above I won’t go into any more detail, but unless you steer clear of red meat this chocolaty treat is must try.  The first bite is intriguing and keeps you coming back for more.  By the third bite I was hooked and  figuring out how to ration the pieces to last until my next visit.  The rationing lasted all of a day as I quickly found myself hooked on the salty sweet mix.

ACKC sells the bar at the bargain price of $6.50 a pop.  Online at the Vosges website they’re going for $7.50 a piece.

I haven’t seen them anywhere else in the district, but according to the Vosges retailer finder there are 11 locations within 25 miles of downtown DC.  If you’re located outside of the district just jump on the Vosges website to find out the closest retailer to you.

Now that you’re in-the-know, hunt one down and find out for yourself why I’m not sharing.

Delving into the New York Times dining & wine section I came across a sight for sore eyes.  A trend that was once all the range is coming full circle and peaking once more.  I’ve already told you the “trend” but I’ll name again for good measure…sun-dried tomatoes. 

Ohh how I love them, and I must admit…though apparently they were dubbed “over” I never stopped craving the sweet rustic flavor and the convenience of their packaging.  I agree with the article’s author, Mark Bittman, that the oil soaked variety were beyond nasty (for lack of a better word) but a good sun-dried tomato is just as he puts it, “like candy.”   

Throw em in a salad, jazz up a grilled cheese, add a little spice to pasta, the possibilities are endless. 

Read Bittman’s sheer joy upon the return of this trend.  Now that I’ve written this post I need to satisfy a serious craving. 

At roughly $4 a pound, I’ll be stocking up!

Most of us think of Chinese take-out as sauce laden, msg heavy and perfect as a midnight snack.  (And basically any other time of the day)  And nothing is a better stress relief than opening those four little flaps, digging in to the various treasures your chopsticks find and snuggling up on the couch with the newest blockbuster flick.

Imagine all of those feelings combined with fresh crunchy vegetables, lean meat and generous-for-your-dollar portions. 

Departing from the typical assumptions of Chinese take-out, Mr. Chen’s gives you all of the flavor without the guilt of over salted, heavy oiled food.  Walking into the basement of the Woodley Park digs I noticed the staff snapping a three foot high pile of bright green beans on a small table just next to the kitchen.  A confirmation of fresh vegetables on the premises, such a sight for sore eyes!   

I ordered the dinner special of chicken with garlic & ginger sauce, wonton soup, a spring roll and steamed brown rice for $7.99.  The flavors were light, the vegetables crunchy and the rice was just the right amount of sticky.  The ginger sauce had a punch to in that keeps this spice lover coming back for more and after finishing off my very large portion I wondered why more organic Chinese restaurant haven’t popped up through-out the city.  It combines good food with a conscious of what you’re putting in your mouth.  I know of many people who suffer bland meals at the price of feeling fit. 

With Mr. Chen’s that problem is no more.  If you’re looking to go REALLY healthy they offer steamed veggies, shrimp or tofu over brown rice with your choice of sauce on the side. 

Their lunch specials start at $5.99 and similar to the dinner specials, come with an entree, soup, a spring roll and rice. 

Quality ingredients with bargain prices and a health-conscious cooking style.  What more could an urban-ite ask for?  That’s right…the ability to order online.  Though I have yet to use this feature, according to their website you can create an account to streamline your ordering process.  (Any feedback about online experiences appreciated) 

To see what the Washington Post had to say about Mr Chen’s go here.

Mr Chen’s Organic Chinese

2604 Connecticut Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20008

202-797-9668

(Located in Woodley Park)

There’s nothing like walking into a restaurant and feeling yourself transported to another world. Instantly you relax, sit down and let the day catch up to you. A good restaurant can make you feel all of these things. The theme envelopes and transports you on a mini vacation…the 2-3 hour kind.

My goal for RW this year was to find such a place, and venturing to the Penn Quarter on what felt like the coldest night of the year, I was hoping my pick could bring such a reprieve.

Keeping this thought in mind, D and I braved the snow and ice, hopped in the car and made our way to the fun foodie corner of Penn Quarter. Diners beware, if you plan on driving to the Penn Quarter be prepared to hunt for a parking spot like a lion stalks its prey. After circling the blocks for 15 minutes (why didn’t we metro?!) we finally snagged a spot 2 blocks from the restaurant. Perfect…except for the fact that in this part of town the meters run until 9:30pm. Blast! Perpetually out of quarters the two of us scoured the streets for an ATM and a place to make some change. Twenty wet and soggy minutes later (ok, so D was the only wet and soggy one. I hid in a store while D played the part of a gentleman. Who said chivalry was dead?!) we made our way into Rasika and took in the scenery. The light was dim and the colors resembled a spice cabinet (think curry and tumeric with a little paprika). The effect was very calming, but combined with the sleek and clean lined furniture the atmosphere still gave off a trendy vibe.

Since we were fifteen minutes early for our eight thirty reservations, the host kindly checked our coats and we saddled up to the bar. Shortly after ordering our Kingfisher beers, an Indian pilsener style brew, we were shown our to table and began perusing the leather bound menus.

For my first course I went with the dish that had the most chatter surrounding it: Palak Chaat. Being rather ravenous since our reservations were so late, D went with the Seekh Kabob (lamb with mint chutney). While D’s choice was very good, with large tender pieces of lamb; my crispy spinach with sweet yogurt, tamarind and date chutney was what I can now claim as, my favorite Indian dish to-date. It combined, creamy, sweet and crunchy into one sensory explosion. Our waiter must have seen my face of joy because he ran over and chimed in that Palak Chaat was Rasika’s specialty. Take note: If you like spinach, try this dish.

The rest of the meal revealed a mix of traditional and non-traditional Indian dishes. My black cod was cooked perfectly with a smooth, light and flaky texture accompanied by a strong flavor of star anise. (If you don’t like black liquorice steer clear of this pick)

The desserts didn’t wow me.  The Indian style rice pudding (which is not listed on their regular online menu) was good but lacking the punch of flavor I’ve come to love from a lot of Indian dishes. D’s honey and ginger ice cream was good-with little bits of crystallized ginger surprising you in every bite, but I got the feeling that desserts were an afterthought compared to the rest of Rasika’s menu. Perhaps it was just a restaurant week thing.

Regardless, the entire trip was successful. Thanks to Restaurant Week Rasika has gained a faithful diner. Sure this city has a lot of great Indian restaurants (Heritage India and Indique come to mind) but Rasika stands out with its trendy decor, cutting edge-slightly non traditional dishes, excellent classics and very friendly and accommodating service. If anything I’d go back solely for the Palak Chaat. Seriously. Prices normally run $15-$28 for an entree so be prepared to pay a bit more than if you were at a run-of-the-mill Indian restaurant. Additionally, a basket of Naan is $3 extra so add that on to the cost as well.

Thinking ahead, I would suggest Rasika for anyone looking to make an evening out of their meal. For those looking for a quick Indian fix on the lower budget side, look elsewhere.

Rasika

633 D St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20004

202-637-1222

Now that the beginning of the year has finally calmed down and I’ve stopped playing catch up (don’t you HATE the after holiday catch up!), I’ve been able to resume my daily routines and start to once again notice my surroundings rather than sprint quickly from one place to the next trying to cover every inch of skin from the bitter cold outside.  (Truth be told…its not that cold here in D.C. Folks need to grow a pair, and I’m including myself in this category.) 

During my morning walk a few days ago I noticed a yellow awning on F Street that I swear was not there in November.  After further inspection, and getting within 50 feet of the store front (My eyes are not the best…ok, that’s an understatement) I discovered a new deli/restaurant/”eatery” had moved into the work ‘hood.

Devon & Blakely Fine Food Eatery

When I returned late in the day for lunch, I concluded it to be a cross between high noon and lawson’s.  It has the eat in, take out, catering theme that both of them tout.  A first glance inside revealed a bakery section of muffins, scones, danishes, bagels, etc with a coffee bar nearby followed by a salad bar of tuna salad, new potato salad, greek salad, etc.  Further down the line were rows and rows of delicious sounding wraps, sandwiches, paninis and quesadillas filled with prosciutto, smoked salmon, brie, cranberry chutney, avocado, bacon, blue cheese…need I go on. 

A star attraction that can quickly add up in price was the tossed salad bar.  Everything looked fresh and there was a large variety of toppings to choose from:  grilled lemon chicken, blackened chicken, tuna, sun dried tomato, mandarin oranges, tofu, cous cous, roasted red peppers, feta, hearts of palm, etc. and 13 different dressing options.  The basic “Large starter salad” (meaning just the lettuce) starts at $3.95 with toppings ranging from 50 cents to 2 dollars each. 

Finally, just down from the salad bar bounty I found the soups.  On a cold winter day these soups looked like they could hit the spot.  I asked for a sample of the turkey bean chili and was able to try one good bite before I spilled the rest on the poor unsuspecting soul standing in front of me.  It was an uber clutzy moment.  My hand slipped and the next thing I knew I was offering up a handful of napkins and payment for the drycleaning bill.  Uggh. 

After my Kramer-like moment I composed myself and ordered the Blackened Chicken Gyro with chopped onions, peppers, lettuce, tomato and creole mayonnaise.  I quickly paid my $7 and scooted out the door in shame.  Back in the safe confines of my office I was able to sample the sweet yet spicy gyro that was packed with just the right amount of toppings and heated to the perfect temperature.  Not a bad lunch, if you don’t count the whole klutz thing.  I will definitely be back to sample more of their goods.   

To try the new NY imported Devon & Blakely head to 1331 F Street NW, just off of the Metro Center stop.  Hopefully you’ll be able to order without any incidents of your own.      

It’s that time of year again!  In just a few days the city’s restaurants will open their doors and offer patrons a taste of their menus at a fraction of the regular prices. 

I still maintain that RW is a wonderful opportunity to try out new restaurants, take chances on dishes and is beneficial for the city.  I will however add a few notes to my thoughts on this foodie holiday. 

First off,

When making your reservations keep in mind that the fixed prices are $20.08 for lunch and $30.08 for dinner.  Skip restaurants where you can normally get out of the door with a bill for under those amounts.  This is a chance to try places that are a splurge.  A $60 lunch at Charlie Palmers or Tosca isn’t the norm for most, but when you can walk away with a bill for $20…that’s another story.      

Check for restaurants that offer their full or close-to-full menu.  You will get a better idea of what the restaurant offers and whether or not you’d like to come back.

Some restaurants offer the RW prices for longer than a week.  A few that come to mind, Dino (extended for one month) and Farrah Olivia (extended for 2 weeks).  For a list of others head to D.C. Foodies.  They have a wonderful and comprehensive guide to this year’s RW, including links to menus.  

To check out the places involved head to the official Restaurant Week website or opentable to see what reservations you and your dining companions can snag.

 As for me.  I’ve decided not to book 10,000 reservations spots like I have in the past.  $30 is still $30 and can add up quickly.  I’ll be making one stop this year and am very excited to see how a very buzzed about restaurant fares during this busy week.  I will report back with my findings. 

 Happy dining everyone!         

Since everyone is heading home for the holidays and there’s a good chance that even if you don’t drink coffee, one of yours holiday guests will, I’m pointing everyone to Kim O’Donnell’s “Coffee 101″ article.  It’s a VERY simple explaination of how to brew a good cup of coffee so your guests won’t have to pour a hefty amount of Coffeemate into their mugs to make sludge/dirty water drinkable!

To read up on buying coffee, head here. 

For a visual on how to grind your coffee beans, go here.

Enjoy, and happy holidays everyone! 

Hidden amongst a nail salon, Fed Ex store and an out-of-service movie theater lies an Upper Northwest gem. 

From the outside, Cafe Ole doesn’t garner as much as a second glance.  Uninformed passers by think it’s just another Mexican restaurant or ho-hum cafe.  Little do they know that once inside the doors you’ll find a small brightly colored and casual bistro ready to serve Mediterranean cuisine “for the adventurous palate.”  We’re not talking fried creepy-crawly things adventurous, but cuisines from all over the Mediterranean such as Turkish, Israeli, Greek, French and Italian.  Enhancing the experience is a geometric wall mural of a seaside town, making you feel as if you’ve just landed on the other side of the Atlantic. 

The menu is tapas style serving both hot and cold “mezze” and it’s recommended that each person order 2-3 as an entree.  I personally think some of the mezze are filling in themselves, though it’s always fun to try more than one dish.  Unless eating an entire pizza is your idea of filling, 2 per person should suffice.   

If you’re with a group start out with the cold sampler platter.  You’ll get a basket full of grilled pita chips, accompanied with dishes of black bean hummus, baba ganouj, tapenade and classic hummus.  There’s something for everyone and it whets your appetite for the dishes to come. If you’re alone or with a friend, go for the black bean hummus.  The addition of cumin brings out the natural sweetness of the black beans and adds an extra spice not found in the dish’s classic form.    

Some favorites on the hot mezze side are Lebanese Celebration (Grilled chicken marinated in Lebanese spices, garlic, onion and olive oil, served over bulgur wheat and topped with scallions, hummus and lemon pepper aioli), Shepherd’s Pie Ole and Lamb Shawarma.  Without personal restraint, I would order the Lebanese Celebration every single visit.  The creamy aioli combined with the tartness of the lemon and sweet nuttiness of the bulgur wheat result in what must be the Mediterranean version of comfort food.

If you don’t feel like getting out of your sweatpants, Café Ole does an excellent job of packing things up and letting you enjoy their food in the comfort of your own home.  I used their take-out service for a surprise dinner with a group of 4 friends, and everyone was thrilled with the turnout. 

Adventurous menu items and flavor pairings, a bright and unassuming atmosphere, outdoor patio and very reasonable prices ($5-$7 per mezze) make this place a favorite amongst those in-the-know. 

Bonus: On Wednesday nights the special is half-price bottles of wine, so you can splurge a little and still keep the bill low. 

Café Ole

Washington, D.C.

202-224-1330

You can feel the holiday rush (or is it panic?) as we close in on the final week before Christmas.  Thousands of people are racking their brains to come up with the perfect gifts for their friends and family. 

Put down the cashmere scarf and say no to another pair of gloves.  I have the perfect gift… for your wine drinking friends.  (Not to exclude anybody.  I guess they can be used for other things as well.)

Its’ something that you can never have enough of, doesn’t go out of style and won’t be too small after consuming an entire batch of Christmas cookies.

 Do you want to know yet?   

Wine glasses.  For a wine drinker it’s about about paying respect to the wine you are drinking by pouring it into a nice glass.  The $2 variety serve their purpose, but for someone who values the entire wine drinking experience, a good glass is appreciated.   

Which do I recommend, you ask?  In all my years (no jokes please) of sniffing, swirling and tasting I’ve found Riedel to be a classy choice.  

Depending on your price point, they have something for everyone.  As their website puts it, you can spring for the “pricier” collection, find a midway point with a “moderate” collection or go for the most economical/”competitive” collection.       

While I’d love to someday own a full collection of the “Sommeliers” hand blown-glass ($30-$100 per glass), for now the more moderate “Vinum” suits me just fine.  In fact, I actually prefer the more clean-lined look of the Vinum over the Sommiliers.  Perhaps my taste will change with age…we’ll see.  

And at $40 for a pair, add a bottle of wine (or not) and you’ve got a great gift! 

I personally own quite a few glasses of the Vinum Pinot Noir (because I drink a lot of that particular grape) and would never turn down a gift of a few more.  (hint, hint) 

You can find Riedel all over the place, but head to their website for a comprehensive list.  Two stores that come to mind are William Sonoma and Sur La Table.  Around DC I know Rodmans carries them as well. 

So to all you wine drinkers out there…you’re welcome.  Here’s hoping you find a little glass under the tree this year.  And to all of the stressed out shoppers.  Breath easy, you can scratch a few more names off of your list. 

Have you ever found yourself craving a dish and wanting to know where you can find it?  Or better yet, a certain ingredient? (Like a certain celebrity and her unusual pregnancy craving)   

If you live in Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, New York or San Francisco then you’re in luck.

A new website, FoodieBytes allows you to enter in a dish or an ingredient and it searches all of the restaurant menus in the selected city. 

Since I’ve had a hankering for “Pho” lately, I entered it in and FoodieBytes showed me all of the restaurants in the Washington DC area with such a dish.  You can refine the search by distance, price, delivery options and cuisine. 

If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the 5 mentioned cities, play around on the site.  If you find yourself craving Fennel or another obscure ingredient, then this site may be able to help you find some satisfaction.

For years I have wondered when somebody was going to catch on to the fact that some of us enjoy a good salad as a quick meal.  Fast doesn’t have to mean fried and recently businesses in DC have caught on. 

On top of Sweetgreen in Georgetown, the New York base Chop’t has made its way to our fair city.  The idea driving this “creative salad company” is a place where people can go to enjoy something fresh and healthy with enough variety that a person doesn’t have to eat the same thing over and over again.

I made my way to the 7th street (Chinatown) location last Friday to test their concept out.  Turning the corner from H street there was literally a line out the door.  Seriously.  Since I’d already walked a solid seven blocks to get there, I pulled my coat a little tighter and waited to make my way through the front doors. 

Once inside I found myself amidst a contolled chaos.  To paint the scene, imagine a Chipotle only instead of a grill as a backdrop, just bins and bins of different types of lettuce.  Mesclun, spinach, arugula, iceberg or romain, you choose your favorite.  Along the toppings…er “choppings” bar were rows and rows of possible salad fillers.  Avacado, edamame, grilled asparagus, hearts of palm, red potatoes and sundried tomatoes were some that caught my eye. 

The jist, as I understood it was…you walk up to the “chopping” bar and order either a custom salad, chef designed salad or salad sandwich and a dressing of your choice.  From there you let the menu be your guide.  Since the line was out the door I thought I’d give the chef designed salads a-whirl and ordered the grilled asian with chicken. (”A blend of spinach and romaine lettuce, carrots, slivered almonds, oranges, snow peas and crispy chinese noodles)   I watched as my salad assembler (for lack of a better word) put everything in a big silver bowl and handed it off to the line of choppers (I think I’m making that name up) who proceeded to dump the salad onto the chopping block and hack away with a mezzaluna knife.

Once my chopper (Seriously, are they called something else?) finished dicing my salad to minuscule proportions (makes for better probability that something gets stuck in your teeth) I chose a dressing from Chop’ts homemade dressing menu.  Wanting to go light I passed over their “exotic” recommendations of 5 flavor Asian and carrot ginger and ordered the ”spa” (AKA fat free) balsamic vinaigrette.  If you could care less about light and/or health conscious, the selection of classic dressings was voluminous and tempting. 

Finally, I was handed my pleasantly large salad and complementary roll and made my way to the register.  Eight dollars later I sat down to see what the fuss was all about. 

Thoughts

First off, my salad was large.  That’s a plus.  A second positive, the ingredients seemed fresh and full of flavor.  I did think they skimped on the amount of crunch (in this instance Chinese noodles) so they lost points in that category and the dressing I chose was almost too light.  While many would probably appreciate that fact, next time I’ll go with one of the suggested selections.

Overall, Chop’t is a great addition to the city.  Specifically to the hungry lunch crowds downtown.  Hopefully the initial craze will die down and the lines won’t be out the door for long.  I plan to head back and play around with their custom craft menu and their array of creative dressings. 

Pickles are a love hate food.  Those who love them will makes themselves sick off of a whole jar and the others…well they don’t know what they’re talking about.

As for myself, I could eat an entire jar and like to think that I have some standards when it comes to a quality pickle.  I’ve eaten all types.  Kosher-Dill, Bread & Butter, Gherkin and even fried.  (Thank you Indiana State Fair.  They fry everything.)

A good pickle is crunchy and has a little tang.  Needless to say, Wickles have both.  (Don’t feel bad if you giggle everytime you say that name.  I do.)  As their slogan says, they are a “wickedly delicious pickle.” 

According to their website, Wickles started as a 70 year old family recipe that was used to dole out jars of pickles as presents,  and from family and friend demand “Wickles” was born. 

I tasted my first Wickle (hehe) over the Thanksgiving holiday and was quickly addicted to the slightly sweet yet heated flavor.  No fears, my heat intolerant mother was able to handle the spice,  yet surprisingly my spice loving father was satisfied by the heat level as well.  The pickles have a homemade taste and their presentation looks like something one of your neighbors would bring over.  They can be found in specialty or gourmet grocery stores, but since I haven’t come across them in DC yet I suggest ordering a jar online.

 I’ll keep searching and as soon as I find them, you’ll know.

Added note: Rachel Ray’s magazine voted Wickels as the best hot pickle.  To read the article, go here.

There are always those nights when you feel like heading out on the town, but keeping it low key.  You don’t want to dress up, so the new hot spot is out of the question (The Source) and you don’t want anything too quick, which leads a lot of people into the Chinese, Thai, etc. category. 

D and I were in such a mood a few Fridays ago and decided to venture to a spot I had consistently heard about since moving to DC.  Our choice was made even more definite when we couldn’t decide on a cuisine and since Malaysia Kopitiam claims influence from Malaya, Chinese and Indian cuisine it seemed like a good choice.   

As we made our way to the corner of 18th and M Street in Dupont Circle I began to get cold feet.  The restaurant is located in a basement right next to a “gentleman’s club”, and although the Zagat review in my hands was a fairly good one, the writers described the surroundings as “dumpy basement digs” so naturally D and I came up with a back up plan.  Penang, another Malaysian restaurant that’s a little flashier was just around the corner and although it’s higher priced it gave both of us comfort that should we decide that the basement was in fact “dumpy” another option was not far away.  

We opened the door to MK and breathed a sigh of relief.  Yes, it’s a basement, but it’s on the same level as a lot Chinese restaurants (regional decorations with the standard table cloth) and we took a seat feeling a little better about the meal ahead.  At this point I should probably direct folks to the reviews that led us to MK, so enjoy. 

Here and here.   

When I opened the menu, I fought another urge to run out the door.  The pages were full of pictures.  Generally, my rule of thumb is - if they can’t take the time to describe a dish and use pictures instead, the end result will not be good.  But in this instance I was actually grateful to get a visual of the extensive menu.  There were so many choices, many of which included ingredients that I was not familiar with, so in this circumstance I was willing to break my rule.  A gut instinct that I’m glad I made.

We started off the meal with an order of Po Pia…

what I was told is a traditional Malaysian dish.  I’d sum it up as a soft spring roll drizzeled in hoisin sauce (AKA the plum sauce you slather all over your mu shu pork).  Made with eggs, lettuce, jicama, dried shrimp and crispy shallot, it was a good way to start the meal and I would recommend it as a gate way appetizer for those venturing into uncharted waters.  I regret not ordering the roti wrap (Indian Flat bread), but from the looks of my neighbor’s table (yes, I was spying) the wrap could be a meal in itself. 

For main dishes D ordered the Singapore noodle with shrimp, egg, onion and green peppers over thin rice noodles in curry flavor.  Wanting to sample the Indian side of things, I ordered the Chicken Rendang, a curry chicken simmered in coconut milk and “various” spices.

I don’t say this very often and I can’t believe I’m admitting it now, but I liked D’s dish much more than my own.  The noodles were thin and delicate, not greasy at all and the curry flavoring was light allowing me to actually taste the sweetness of the shrimp and peppers. 

As for my dish….well, the chicken was suspect but the curry sauce had the ability to revive things.  While I wouldn’t order that specific dish again, I would explore MK’s other curry dishes based off of their Rendang sauce. 

 As a whole, Malaysia Kopitiam is a good low-key restaurant.  I may not have loved all of the dishes we ordered, but I know enough to realized when a menu has potential.  When the night comes where I’m looking for something casual and adventurous I’ll turn to the picture menu once more.  Prices were fair, though higher than your average Chinese or Thai restaurant, so expect to pay somewhere in the teens for your entree.

Malaysia Kopitiam

1827 M Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20036

202-833-6332

Saturday I decided it was time to practice dishes for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.  Looking for something different, I flipped through the pages of Cooking Light’s October issue when something caught my eye.  Now a lot of things have the ability to catch my eye.  Some may say I have a “shiny things” mentality when looking through recipe books.  Every thing looks good.  It goes something like, “oooohhh mashed potatoes, oh no-hazelnut gnocchi with sage glaze, oh-oh-oh roasted butternut squash ravioli.” 

There was something about the Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pilau that jumped off of the magazine’s page and said, “make me”, so I obliged.  The recipe called for brown rice with a note that substituting in Bulgar wheat would add more fiber and since I was feeling overly healthy, I opted for the switch.

The dish was a hit.  The pumpkin and sweet potato contrasted the earthy flavors of sage and bulgar wheat, and while I had planned on leftovers for sunday the friends standing in as my sampling guinea pigs decided to polish everything off. 

Go here for the Cooking Light recipe.  The article suggests serving it with pork chops, I served it beside a roasted chicken with lemon, but turkey would make an excellent pairing as well. 

Nothing’s sadder than the fat kid eating lunch by himself in the cafeteria. (from CollegeHumor)